Happy Birthday, John Locke! Born on August 29, 1632, Locke was one of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of his time and beyond. Thanks to him, we have a better understanding of concepts such as identity and the self. He influenced America’s Founding Fathers and the creation of our Declaration of Independence. And, as someone who enjoys the freedom of speech and expression that allows me to write this blog, I’m grateful for Locke and his ideas on classical liberalism.
Fetid (“fet-id”)
Adjective; from Dictionary.com:
1. Having a strong, offensive odor; stinking
2. Having a foul or nauseating smell
He would mark into fetid jails and face down camp commanders with machine guns strapped to their chests. (Quiet: The Power of Introverts, Susan Cain)
Old than even the 380-year-old John Locke, fetid was first coined in the early 15th century. Not surprisingly, the word has Latin roots, being derived from fetidus, which means “stinking” and fetere, meaning “to have a bad smell.” Fetid is one of those rare words whose meaning hasn’t changed much over the years. The definitions of its Latin roots are remarkably similar to its current English definitions. There’s something nice about that consistency, even if there isn’t anything nice about a fetid odor.
Your turn, bookworms – what’s your opinion on old, antique books? Does the musty smell evoke positive emotions or do you just find those books fetid?
[Photo Credit: Google Images]
One Comment
Eek — fetid just sounds unpleasant! Overall I find the smell of antique books to be comforting, but occasionally it’s a little nauseating. I actually walked into a used bookstore yesterday and turned to my boyfriend with a, “Yep, smells like a bookstore!” remark. In that case, I’m not sure it was a good thing . . .